Fruit and vegetable drier



Patented May'i, 1925.

BENJAMIN P. LRosa or SACRAMENTO, antisemita.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE Damit.'

Application anni rime 28, 192s. sei-iai No. easo.

To all fui/i017?, t may concern:

be it known that I, BiiNJAMiN P. Ross, a citizenof' the United States. of America, residing at Sacramento, in the county' of Sacrainento and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in Fruit and Vegetable Driers, of

which the following ris a specification.y

'This invention relates to improvements in fruit and v"vegetable ,driers An important obyeet of this invention is kto providel a fruit and vegetable drier in' which means are provided that will prevent the too, rapid .drying of the fruit or vegetable being dried, vand thus allow the fruit to retain to a great degree, its natural aroma and flavors.y n

.Another object of this invention is to provide a device ofthe above mentioned character which may be easily and quickly transported from place to place.

.A still further object of this invention is i to provide a device of the above mentioned character which will be compact, insect# proof, strong and durable and one that may be easily manufactured. Other ob]ect,s and advantages oit this iiin `vention will become apparent during 4the course of the y following whichl -K Figure lis a side elevational view of my fruit and vegetable drier, showing the saine description, in

completely assembled.

Figure 2 is an end elevatioiialfview taken on line II-I of Fig. l,

Figure 3 is a side elevationalv vview showing the cover removed taken on line ,l'II--HI of. Fig.` 2,v and Figure tis a fragmentary plan view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

`Referring to thedrawing in which like reference characters designate like parts thrmighoutthe several views, theiiui'neral indicates'the body portion of my fruit and vegetable drier, which is suitably mounted on legs (i which extend upwardly and iiitotlie body portion 5 for a purpose to be more fully hereinafter described. Formed iii both sides of the .bodyv portion are air ventilation ports 7 which are' covy ered by a fine wire gauze 8 to prevent the entrance of insectsor the like, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The openings 7 are adapted to be closed when desired by a shutter 9 pivoted as at` 10.

The numeral 11 designates the auxiliary cover for the body portion 5 rwhichy is provided wit-h a handle -12 to facilitate the carrying of the device when coinpletelyas sembled. The cover ll'is 'further provided with downwardly depending side ii'ieinbers 13, which are provided with eyes 14 adapted to be engaged by hook members 15 carried by the body portion 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. l f

A door 16 is mounted on hinges 17 car'- ried by a strip 18 which is secured to the body portion The door 16 is further provided with a hook 19 which is adapted to engage aneye 2O carried by a strip 21 which is also carried by the body portion 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. This door 16 `facilitates the vinsertion or removal of fruit or, vegetables to be dried, although not necessarily limited to the saine as the fruit or vegetables to be dried could be removed through theA top of the case.

Secured to the legs 6 are brackets or the like 22 which are adapted to support shelf members 23. Slidably mounted on the shelves 23 are trays 24 provided with slatted bottoms 25, a small open space being left between the slats to allow for free circulation of air. Removably mounted on shelf members 26 is a transparent top plate 27 which acts as a cover when the auxiliary cover 11 has been'reinoved, and also allows Mounted on shelf members 28 isa reinovable tray 29 which is adapted to hold asinall aiiiountof water for a purpose which will beA hereinafter more fully described.

1n the operation of my. fruit and vegetable drier, the fruits or vegetables to be 4dried are placed in'the trays and the trays are then inserted in the case. The door may then be fastened and the case carried into the sunlight by means of a handle 12, car` ried by the auxiliary cover 11. The auxiliary cover is then i'eiiioved, and the suiis rays allowed to 4shine directly on the articles to be dried. In order to prevent too rapid 'drying of the articles in the trays, the tray 29 is filled with water which will itself become evaporated by the suns rays in time, but it will` cause a slow drying of the fruit vor other articles so that ywhen the drying operation is completed the fruit will have retained to a great extent its natural aroma and flavor.` I

IIt. isf to be understood that the form of my invention as herewith shown and described is to be taken as the ,preferred example of the same, but that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangementof parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Havingthus described the invention, l claim 1. lsn a fruit.- drier, a rectangular lraine having' corner posts, brackets projecting laterally from said posts, shelves removably supported on said brackets, and trays having bottoms provided with longitudinal slots and resting on said shelves, said trays being adapted to rest directly on the brackets upon removal of the shelves, certain of the slots beingclosed by the shelves when the trays are supported in said shelves.

2. In a fruit drier, a rectangular frame having corner posts, brackets projeetinioY laterally from said posts, shelves removably supported on said brackets, and trays having bottoms provided With longitudinal slots and resting on said shelves, said trays being adapted to rest directly on the brackets npon removal ot the shelves, certain ol the slots being closed by the shelves when the trays are supported in said shelves, a easing` carried by the posts and spaced from the shelves and trays at one end to form an air flue, and a Water trough extending across the easingover said lue and spaced slightly Yfrom the end and top oit the easing` to 'form a narrow air passage.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

BENJAMIN P. ROSS. 

